Police have welcomed a plea of guilty by a 34-year-old Newry man for making, possessing and distributing indecent images of children.
Having appeared before Newry Crown Court this week, he will now be sentenced on July 1, 2022.
Detective Inspector Vasey, from the PSNI’s Child Internet Protection Team, said: “My team are working around the clock to identify and bring people before the courts who think they can hide under the radar and get away with these heinous crimes.
“This is the seventh person, that we have investigated, to have been convicted in Northern Ireland over the last month for making, possessing and/or distributing indecent images of children.
“If you are exploiting children and producing or viewing illegal images of them for sexual gain, you are leaving a digital footprint and we are looking for you.”
The Police’s Child Internet Protection Team (CIPT) are the busiest they have ever been since their inception in 2010.
The unit of 15 Detective Constables are charged with investigating the most serious and complex cases of online child abuse and exploitation.
The number of referrals to the unit has increased by 35% over the previous 12 months.
The PSNI is asking all local communities to report any activity, online or physical towards a child that they find concerning. Similarly if you have concerns or suspicions that an adult you know or live with may be engaging in this type of illegal activity report to Police on 101 or 999 in an emergency.
